What could've happened
by CarnivalClare
Summary: Now we all know what happened in The Boiling Point Finale, but this is what i dreamed of before i watched the episode based on the promos. Full of drama, romance and violence.entire story rated T just to be careful  for violence and language .
1. Chapter 1

**This is a reminder that this was before I watched the finale and it's what I thought was going to happen based on the Promos. Thanks. xoxoxo  
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Chapter 1  
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"You have pretty eyes," those were the words that started it all for Clare. The words that made her heart flutter in her chest, helplessly frantic to escape the cage of her ribs and fly to the sun. Yep, that was how Eli made her feel; every look, every smirk, every day. Now, as she walked hand in hand with him to English class, she felt the electricity flowing through the veins in her arm. Eli stopped just outside the doorway and shoved his hands anxiously into his jean pockets.

"Listen Clare," He started, "I was just wondering, you know the dance is coming up and, I- I was thinking- do you want to go to it with me?" He shrugged his shoulders, dark eyes staring into Clare's.

Clare giggled, going pink, "Of course, Eli." His smile was so bright Clare couldn't help but giggle more. Leaning in, Eli kissed her sweetly effectively taking her breath away.

"Seriously, you guys? Get a room!" Adam groaned, playfully punching Eli in the shoulder. Eli pulled away and stared unabashedly at Clare as if she was the only person in the world. Clare, meanwhile, blushed ear to ear but returned Eli's gaze. Adam rolled his eyes, "I swear, I almost liked it better when you two weren't talking. At least then I didn't feel like a third wheel. I mean, really! Haven't you heard that kissing in front of the loveless is just cruel?"

Eli laughed and patted Adam on the head, "We'll find you someone, my friend."

"Hey, look who it is. The Freaks!" Fitz pushed in-between Eli and Adam on his way into the room, successfully slamming both of them into either side of the door jam. The fire started in Eli's eyes as he started after Fitz.

Clare cut in, pushing both hands against Eli's chest. "He's not worth it, Eli! Stop!" Clare watched as Eli struggled to rein in his temper. Shrugging his backpack over his shoulder once again, he put a hand to the arm that got hurt.

"You okay?" He asked Adam who wordlessly nodded, still glaring after Fitz. Fitz's violence towards both Eli and Adam had grown over the last few weeks. Each time Clare had been able to stop Eli before he had the chance to do something stupid, but she worried that one day even she wouldn't be able to keep him from snapping. Together, the three of them silently entered the class.

"Today we're starting a new group project for short stories," Mrs. Kwan addressed the class. "You will choose one story from the list and write a personal response on the piece. Your partner will be your editor and someone you can bounce ideas off of. I want groups of two, preferably one boy and one girl."

Clare tapped Eli on his shoulder, claiming him as her partner as always. Mrs. Kwan had noticed the exchange "Not so fast Miss. Edwards. I will be picking the partners this time."

Eli shrugged helplessly as Clare pouted in her desk. Mrs. Kwan began listing off pairs, each followed by either a hushed "Yes!" or a disappointed groan. "Adam Torres and Fiona Coyne," Adam's head jerked nervously in Fiona's direction. She smiled warmly and gave a small wave that Adam shyly returned.

Eli smirked, "Looks like you won't need us to hook you up for the dance. You're doing fine on your own!" He laughed but his chuckle turned into a choked cough as the teacher called the next set of names.

"Eli Goldsworthy and Bianca De Sousa."

Bianca levelled a disgusted glare at Eli and his skin paled a few shades. Adam laughed at Eli's face. Mrs. Kwan continued, "Hmm, who do we have left? Ah, yes! Clare Edwards and Mark Fitzgerald."

Clare felt her eyes go wide. "Fitz?" She whispered. Eli grew ridged in his seat. Clare's gaze shot towards Fitz. He had no visible reaction; he just slouched in his desk, eyes trained on the open notebook on his desk. Eli turned abruptly and clutched Clare's hand tightly within his own.

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"I'm sure it'll be fine, Eli. Just relax."

"How can I relax? My girlfriend is entering the house of my brutal arch-enemy and may or may not make it out alive. Does that give you reasons to relax?" Eli paced beside Morty, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke.

Clare narrowed her eyes, "Now you're just being dramatic. It's an English project, not a ransom. It's a house, not a dungeon. I need a good grade on this assignment and you need to worry about how you're going to work with Bianca. I can take care of myself. You can trust me." Eli stopped pacing, gripped Clare's arms and searched her eyes. Slowly, he bent and his lips grazed against hers. Clare shivered.

"I do trust you; it's him I don't trust." Eli said.

"Well, you're just going to have to let me go. There's no avoiding it."

Eli spoke through clenched teeth. "Fine, let's go."

The ride to Fitz's house in Morty was silent and tense. When they finally made it, Eli gave Clare a small kiss on the cheek before driving away. The house looked normal enough, yet Clare still felt nerves rising within her. Taking a deep breath, Clare climbed the steps and knocked on the door. Her hands shook in anticipation.

Fitz answered the door. "Hey Clare, Come on in," He smiled.

_What's this? _Clare thought, _Fitz smiling? There _is_ a first for everything. _

The house seemed fairly clean, but it was hard for Clare to tell because every door was closed, as if each hid a different secret. While the venue seemed normal enough, Clare had a bad feeling, as if the walls had seen and heard things she couldn't even imagine. "Is anyone home?" she asked.

"Nah," Fitz looked almost relieved, "both of the rents are out all day. Probably all night too, but I don't think this will take that long."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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Clare felt the cold chill of unease settle into her bones and almost physically shivered. Why was Fitz acting so pleasant all of a sudden? Was it all just a cover? The change in demeanour freaked Clare out but she remained determined to co-operate with Fitz until the project was over. She knew Fitz couldn't possibly be the monster Eli made him out to be but, still she flinched and was on guard every time he left her sight. Time and time again she held her breath waiting for Fitz to become the bully she thought she knew, but that Fitz never came.

"Wow, Fitz, this is actually really good," Clare exclaimed after reading through Fitz's essay on Poe's_ The Black Cat_.

Fitz grinned. "Yours is great. I'm not very good at this, but I honestly don't think there's anything you could fix." Together, Fitz and Clare went through Fitz's essay; fixing some words, adjusting some sentence structure. By the time they finished, the sun was setting behind the trees. They sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee each.

Fitz looked down at the table. "I just wanted to say thanks, Clare. Most people don't make it through the front door. You gave me a chance and you helped me more than anyone else has."

Clare blushed slightly at Fitz's words, "It was really no problem, Fitz. And your writing's great, it just needed a little polish." Fitz stared at Clare; his eyes squinted, his forehead wrinkled, as if he was making a serious effort to focus on her. It was if he was concentrating on a really difficult math problem.

"What?" Clare asked self-consciously.

"Why are you dating Eli?"

The question was so simple and direct, Clare found herself taken aback. "I really like him, and he really likes me. He makes me feel like the most amazing person in the world. He makes me happy."

Fitz concentrated on her again, and Clare stared defiantly back at him, daring him to challenge her feelings. "He doesn't deserve you. You're so good; I don't think anyone deserves you. I sure wish I deserved you. I wish I could make you feel the way he does."

For a moment, Clare was completely speechless. She sat in her chair gaping at Fitz as he calmly took another sip of his coffee. "Oh Fitz," she gasped, "If you treated other girls the way you've treated me- any girl would be lucky to have you." There wasn't much for conversation after that so Clare called her mom to pick her up and finished her coffee. Before leaving, Clare and Fitz exchanged pleasant goodbyes, and Fitz waved from the door as Clare climbed into her mother's car.

When Clare got home she was dead on her feet. "Clare, you should know some boy has called the house at least twelve times while you were gone, asking for you to call him," Her mother called from the kitchen.

Clare sighed. Eli. She glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering if it was too late to call. She decided it was and that she would talk to Eli at school the next day before Clare trudged up to her room and collapsed on her bed before falling fast asleep.

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"You're in trouble."

Clare sat in English class with Adam. "You are in so much trouble!" He said for the eighth time. "Eli was in a full blown panic last night." Clare hit her head softly on the end of her desk. She should've called, but it was late and she was so tired. She wasn't thinking. "And here he comes," Adam warned, "Better turn up those big blue eyes and look innocent cause I have a feeling this'll be bad."

On cue, Eli walked in and sat in his seat without looking at Clare, though she could almost feel the rage coming off him in waves. The only thing that kept Clare from running out of the class was that, mixed in with the rage, was intense relief. Eli looked awful. His dark hair stuck up in disorganized tufts and dark circles surrounded his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept all night. Eli broke the silence first.

"Good to know you're alive."

Clare narrowed her eyes, "There you go being dramatic again."

Eli turned in his seat to glare at her. "You didn't call. I didn't know if you were alright or left in a ditch! Fitz is dangerous Clare. You don't get that."

"For your information, he isn't the monster you think he is Eli. He was actually really sweet to me yesterday. I didn't call because I got home late and was exhausted. I barely made it up the stairs before going unconscious." Clare shot back at him. She sighed, "I'm sorry about worrying you, but as you can see, I'm still unharmed. So, can you please just relax?"

Eli turned in his seat without a word. Clare leaned forward and kissed his jaw just under his ear. He sighed, releasing all the tension in his shoulders. "So am I forgiven?" She whispered.

Eli turned and kissed Clare in a way that cleared her head of all coherent thought. Once again, Clare was rendered breathless and Eli's eyes grew amused at her expression. "It is quite impossible to stay mad at you," He smirked.

The class crept away at a snail's pace and Clare fidgeted restlessly in her desk. When the bell rang, Clare was so startled she jumped straight out of her desk. Eli and Adam looked at her, then at each other, and then back at her before simultaneously cracking up with laughter. Clare felt her face go red. Eli stopped laughing first, nudging Adam while staring disbelieving in the direction of an approaching Miss. Fiona Coyne. Adam blushed and hunched over in a coughing fit.

"Hey Adam," She said sweetly.

Adam immediately straightened up, clearing his throat. He gave her a shy smile. "Hey Fiona." Clare and Eli stood gaping at the two.

"I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out on that assignment, Adam. I couldn't have passed without your help."

Adam gave a nervous giggle before clearing his throat loudly again and saying in his deep voice, "Oh, it was no problem. You could've done fine without me."

Fiona laughed and kissed Adam on the cheek, "So modest! It's all lies though. So, to repay you I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at The Dot for coffee later."

Adam's eyes grew wide. "Uh, yeah sure, totally."

Fiona smiled, "Okay, see you later. Bye guys," She waved to the still gaping Clare and Eli. Eli looked over at Adam who was staring after Fiona with dreamy eyes, practically swaying on the spot. Clare could almost see the cartoon hearts floating over his head.

Eli shook his head, "Dude, keep it together." Adam shook his head back to reality and started to gather his books.

"Adam? What happened?" Clare gasped. Adam merely shrugged his shoulders, a small smile on his lips, before leaving the room; staggering like a drunken man.

"And I thought I had seen everything," Eli murmured.

Clare took Eli's hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Together they walked out of the class. They didn't get far as, out of nowhere, Fitz grabbed Eli's arms and threw him into the lockers causing a loud crash to echo through the hallways. "Fitz! Stop!" yelled Clare.

"No, it's okay Clare. There was something I wanted to say to him," Eli said in his menacing, screw-you-you-dumbass- bully voice.

Fitz assumed the tough-male posture; his head held high, his chest puffed out, fists clenched at his sides. "Oh yeah?" he said, "What would that be?"

Eli mirrored the posture, stepping right into Fitz's face. His jaw squared. "I wanted to let you know, that now this stupid little project is over, you're going to stay away from Clare, far away from Clare."

Fitz laughed, "Or what?" Eli's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Boys!" Clare shouted, pushing her body in-between the two of them, "I'm sick of this! You have to end this stupid feud." She gave Eli her best shouldn't you be saying something right about now? look. He got the message, smart boy.

Sighing and shaking his head he said, "Clare's right. Is there a way we can we end this?"

Fitz considered. "Yeah, there is." He looked at Clare. She swallowed. Eli hadn't missed Fitz's stare and he placed his body protectively in front of Clare's.

"What do you want?" He asked carefully. Eli's hand twitched, ready for a fight if necessary.

Fitz smirked, "I want Clare to go to the dance with me."

Clare's breathing stopped in anticipation. Eli bared his teeth, and Clare could have sworn she heard him growl. "Absolutely not," Eli said with finality, immediately taking a more offensive stance.

"Maybe you should ask the lady, Eli," Fitz's tone mocking, "maybe she'd rather go with a real man. Or are you worried that someone else could make her happy? That she could leave you and you would be alone, again."

Clare observed Eli's fist constrict so tightly that his fingernails gouged the skin of his palm. Bright red blood welled up from the wounds. Eli was in pain, and Clare's throat closed with the realization that she was partly responsible for causing that pain.

"Clare doesn't want to go with you, Fitzy. Just turn and walk away because this conversation is over."

Fitz's face darkened and he started to turn when Clare said, "Wait," He waited. Clare placed a shaking hand on Eli's shoulder; he stared at her in horrified disbelief. "You'll leave Eli and Adam alone. You won't hurt them anymore?" Clare's voice was weak. She felt like she was about to faint.

Fitz's face softened, "I won't touch them. I promise."

"Clare, don't let him play you. That's all he's doing. Don't fall for it. Please, please don't fall for it." Eli begged, staring into her eyes, his face full of agony.

Clare found it impossible to look into Eli's tortured eyes any longer so she closed her own. "I'll do it."

"No!" Eli's voice cracked.

"Eli, I have to. If this will keep you from ending up in the hospital, I have to do it." She nodded to Fitz, who grinned triumphantly.

"See you later, sweetheart." Fitz turned and started down the hallway.

"This isn't over, Fitz. You wait!" Eli growled after him. Fitz gave him a dismissive wave over his shoulder without turning. Eli walked away from Clare and slammed his fist into the lockers. Clare stood paralyzed in one spot, hands shaking violently. Eli turned fiercely as if he was going to rip into Clare for giving in to Fitz, but his anger towards her drained away as he saw a single tear streak down Clare's shocked face.

He crossed the distance between them and kissed the solitary tear with his soft lips. He gathered her into his strong arms before saying softly into her ear, "Don't worry Clare, you won't have to do this. I'll make sure of it."

And with that, Eli pressed his lips to her forehead before walking away without turning back. Clare was left standing in the hallway, shivering and alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Review please! 3**

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_Well, things could be worse, _Clare thought as she stared at the small garment bag on her bed. An hour before the Vegas dance, count it down. She gazed sorrowfully at the dress she and Alli had picked out; all silver and sparkly. It fell loosely to just above her knees, yet still flattered he figure without being slutty. When Clare had bought the dress, she had been confident and dangerous- the dress was fairly out of her comfort range but it had made her feel like a new person. She had wanted to knock Eli off his feet, but now Eli wouldn't be the one to see her in it.

Had she made a mistake? No, it couldn't have been. Fitz would leave Eli and Adam alone, they wouldn't get hurt anymore. All she had to do is go to this stupid dance with Fitz. How bad could it be? Just then, Clare heard a knock at the door. There, on her doorstep, stood Eli. Clare thought it was amazing how he always happened to show up when she was thinking about him. But then again, that wasn't hard. She thought about him all the time.

Eli smirked. "So, you gonna say something, Edwards? Or are you simply speechless in my presence?" He asked smugly. Clare blushed realizing she had been staring silently at him for who knows how long.

She leaned forward, hugging him tightly. Obviously, she had caught Eli off guard but it wasn't long before his arms circled her, pulling Clare more closely to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest.

"Oh, Clare," He pulled back to look into her face, "It's not your fault. I'm going to get you out of this."

Clare looked at him startled. "No," she said, shaking her head.

"No?"

Clare sighed. "Eli, I have to do this. He'll leave you alone, isn't that worth one fake date?"

Eli's green eyes darkened at the word "date" and Clare immediately regretted her word choice. "No, it's not worth it. If he ever hurt you- You should let me handle it."

Clare pulled away, "let you handle it? Cause that's been going _so_ well. It's just a dance, Eli, just a stupid school dance. You need to let me go." Clare took a breath to calm herself, collecting his hands in hers. "There will be other dances. After tonight, I'm all yours. We can go on dates; we can go to dinner, or we can stay in, snuggle up on the couch with popcorn and a movie. Fitz won't bother us again, ever. Will you do that with me Eli?"

Emotions spread across Eli's face like a wildfire, so fast Clare couldn't decipher any of them. Finally, Eli looked at Clare with determination in his eyes. "Yeah, I will do that with you, Clare. I want that more than anything else in the world. But you're not going to the dance with Fitz tonight."

Clare's heart sank and tears threatened in her eyes, "Yes, I am, Eli. You aren't going to stop me. Is that what you came here to do? To _tell _me I'm not going to the dance with Fitz?"

Eli looked annoyed, but Clare expected that Eli knew this was the answer he was going to get. "No," He said, "I came to tell you not to worry, because I suspect Fitzy's night will be cut a little short." He started down the steps, but just before he reached Morty, he turned and looked back at Clare who was struggling to keep herself composed.

"Oh, and Clare?" he called, "Here's a little message for your date. Remember, I'll be watching. So if he does anything stupid, I won't hold back."

Clare was startled, "Wait! You'll be there?"

He smirked, "Of course I'll be there. Someone's got to make sure Adam doesn't gamble away all his chips in one place, and make sure Fitz's wandering hands don't stray where they aren't supposed to." Without another word, Eli got into Morty and drove away.

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Clare was fixing her makeup when the doorbell rang. Being one who didn't usually wear makeup, Clare struggled helplessly with the eye liner pencil. She took one more glance in the mirror and decided she looked as good as she was going to get, before running to answer the door. When she opened the door, Fitz had been staring at his shoes. He wore a simple tux t-shirt with a black jacket. "Hey Clare," he stumbled to a stop when his eyes met her face. His eyes widened.

_ Oh great,_ Clare thought, _my eye liner job must make me look like a pirate._ Her hands self-consciously smoothed her dress as she asked, "What?"

Fitz grinned, "You look amazing."

Clare blushed.

Together, they rode to the dance in Fitz's black Ford Ranger. Fitz didn't try to hold Clare's hand as they entered the dance; he just stuffed them snugly into his pockets. Degrassi's gym was pounding with the rhythmic beats of some band Clare didn't know. Multi-coloured lights pulsated, illuminating numerous gambling tables; their patrons dressed in vibrant dresses and costumes.

"Wow," Clare breathed.

Fitz laughed, "Yeah, they really go all out for these things, don't they?" Clare nodded in agreement. "Let me get you a drink." Fitz offered before weaving through the maze of people.

Clare, unsure of where to go, remained at the door and surveyed the floor. She hadn't even realized she was looking for him until she found him. Standing at the craps table was Eli. His dark hair shielded his eyes from view as he threw a pair of ruby dice on the table. He wore a bright red jacket over his usual black attire. Clare giggled to herself as Eli obviously lost the round, throwing his hands in the air in defeat.

As if he heard her chuckle, Eli's eyes found Clare across the floor. Eli had been determined to keep himself completely composed when he saw Clare, but now he was entirely unable to. He felt his eyes widen in wonder and his lips curl up into an awed smile.

_She looks like an angel, _Eli thought as he stood star stuck on the floor. Her dress shimmered in the lights as if it was covered in tiny diamonds. It showed just the right amount of skin to mark her as classy, while still making Eli ache to see more. Her shiny auburn hair curled carefully, framing her face; he wanted to run his hands through it. Black liner and mascara outlined her blue eyes perfectly, making them stand out even more on her face. As he stared, blush rose to her porcelain face and her pink lips curled into a sweet smile.

Eli found himself unconsciously moving forward, each step shaky and nervous. Every move seemed like slow motion, but suddenly he was right in front of her, staring like an idiot. Clare blushed even more and grinned, "What's this?" she asked, chuckling, "Eli Goldsworthy is speechless? No snarky comments, no witty one liners, no-" Eli cut her off effectively as he speedily leaned in and kissed her passionately. Eli's lips tingled at the contact and fire rushed through his body. His hands cradled her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Eli pulled away, breathless, but stayed close to her face; gazing into her eyes. "You're beautiful." He whispered simply. Clare beamed and Eli leaned in for another kiss.

"What's this, Goldsworthy? Making out with my date within five minutes of arrival? Not cool."

Fitz. Eli pulled away abruptly and Clare watched as the expression of adoration was quickly replaced by a slightly more unpleasant one. Clare looked cautiously between the two of them. Fitz didn't look overly angry; he just stood there holding two drinks in plastic cups. He handed one to Clare who took the cup with trembling hands. Fitz raised an eyebrow at Eli, challenging him to make a move.

Eli's lips twisted up into a smug smile, "Better look out Fitzy, I'll be watching." He turned and walked away without looking back.

Clare looked up and bit her lip nervously. "Look, Fitz, I'm sorry-"

Fitz cut her off, "it's okay, Clare. I was kind of expecting that. Don't worry about it."

The night wore on. At first Clare thought everything was going great, but she couldn't help but notice Fitz's numerous trips to the punch bowl. Each time he came back, Clare noticed odd behaviour changes. At first it was nothing; simply bumping into people, or tripping over things. But soon he was yelling at kids that got in his way. Once, a small boy was playing at the roulette table when Fitz threw him to the ground, saying that the boy was in his spot.

"Fitz!" Clare yelled shocked.

Fitz looked at her as if he was going to yell at her too, but the vicious expression was replaced by a goofy grin. He slung a heavy arm around her shoulder and Clare staggered. "Oh, relax Clare," He slurred, "You know what? I don't wanna play roulette anymore. Why don't you and me go find a quiet, dark corner in this place so we can have a little talk?"

Clare felt unease grow in her gut. "Uhh, I don't think that's a very good idea, Fitz. You know what'd be fun? You could teach me how to play poker. I'm not very good, but I bet you could win enough to get me a prize."

Fitz pretended to think about it, a nasty look grew on his face, "Nah, I like my idea better." He grabbed Clare's wrist and gripped it hard as he dragged her to a deserted area of the gym. Clare wrenched her hand away and rubbed her wrist gingerly.

"Listen Clare," he said advancing on Clare. She took a step back every time he moved forward. "I really think you should forget about the little emo boy. I just don't think it's going to work out."

Clare laughed nervously, "See, that's where we disagree."

"Oh really?" Fitz scoffed, "I think you want me Clare, more than that pretty Goldsworthy."

Clare's back hit the wall and Fitz's hands took up the space on either side of her head. She was trapped.

"I think you're going to like this," He leaned in. Clare smelled something odd on his breath. Was that….alcohol?

"Are you drunk?" Clare asked disbelieving.

"No ma'am, just got the buzz," Fitz leaned in, going for a kiss.

"Fitz, stop! Please, stop!" Clare yelled in a panic, pushing her hands against his chest, his face, anything to keep him from getting closer.

"Stay still, bitch!" Fitz grabbed both of Clare's wrists and slammed them against the wall. Clare whimpered in pain. He got closer and closer, Clare wriggled for an escape.

A hand tapped Fitz on the shoulder. "Hey," the voice said.

Fitz turned in a daze and Clare saw who was behind him.

"I told you I was going to be watching," Eli said before winding up and hitting Fitz square in the face. Fitz's head snapped back by the force and a hideous crunching noise echoed in Clare's mind. Fitz put a hand to his face, and when it came away, it was drenched in blood. Clare gagged when he saw the crooked angle at which Fitz's nose now sat. Blood ran down his lips, which were now turned down in a sneer.

"You should probably go clean that up," Eli said calmly, snaking an arm around Clare's waist.

Fitz shook his head and snickered, "This isn't over, Eli. You'll see." And he turned and stalked away.

"Can't wait," Eli said when Fitz was gone. "Are you okay?" He asked Clare who was pale and shaking in shock. She looked down at her dress. Fitz had torn one of the straps. She hadn't even noticed.

Eli looked at her sympathetically and gave her a tight hug, "Let's go get you a sweater." Clare nodded wordlessly and took Eli's hand securely. They sauntered through the dark lonely hallways of Degrassi until they reached Eli's locker. He gave Clare his red jacket and Clare breathed in his scent. Eli sat down, his back against the lockers and Clare curled up against him.

"So what was your maniacal scheme?" Clare asked Eli when she could speak again, "I'm sure you're quite disappointed you didn't get to use it."

"Honestly?" Eli started, "I had many good plans, but each of them ended in you hating me for being a jerk, so I couldn't use any of them. "

Clare looked up at him curiously, "Really? So what _did _you do?"

Eli laughed, "Waited for Fitz to screw up. It's a little known secret that Fitz spikes his own drinks at school events. So I just had to wait until he was drunk enough that he would cross the line. That's where I come in and play the hero."

Clare closed her eyes and placed her head against Eli's chest, "Mm, clever boy."

Chuckling, Eli kissed the top of Clare's head and held her tighter.

"Aren't you two cute?" Fitz sneered from the end of the hallway. Startled, Eli and Clare both jumped to their feet. Dried blood covered Fitz's clothes; he had one hand buried in his pocket. Clare grasped at Eli's hand.

"Come back for more, Fitzy?" Eli asked. His voice wavered.

"There's not going to be anymore, Eli," Fitz said, advancing on the pair, "at least, there's not going to be any more for you." Fitz took his hand out of his pocket and a blade snapped into place in the holder. Clare gave a small jump at the sound.

Eli eyed the knife warily, "Fitz, don't do this. Please." Fitz didn't respond. Eli tried again, "I'm sorry Fitz, for everything. I'm serious." His voice wavered.

"That's not going to save you now. That was the last straw, I should've done this a long time ago," Fitz jeered.

Clare panicked, "Fitz, you're drunk. Don't do this. You're not thinking straight."

"Shut up!" He yelled. Fitz waived the blade nonchalantly in Clare's direction, "You chose wrong. You're just a slutty bitch! A stupid bitch!"

Eli slid his hand out of Clare's and pushed her firmly against the lockers. "Clare, stay away from me," he murmured. Clare braced herself on the lockers and put a hand to her mouth, choking back sobs. Eli's back hit the wall.

_I'm going to die, _he thought,_ I'm going to die, and Clare's going to watch._ Unconscious tears ran down his face in despair. "You don't have to do this," He told Fitz in his calmest possible voice.

Fitz's face contorted in rage, "you need to be shut up. I'm sick, physically sick, of hearing your voice. I never want to hear it again." He was now in reachable distance from Eli. His arm drew back, Eli closed his eyes.

_No!_ Clare shouted internally. She ran forward and hit Eli with as much force as she could muster just as Fitz shot the knife forward. Eli went sprawling onto the floor. Clare felt the blade enter her chest, the metallic intruder wedged up through her rib cage, forcing all air out of her lungs in an audible rush and gasp.

"Clare! No!" Eli screamed with agony.

But Clare couldn't look at him; she didn't have the will power to. Instead, she stared into Fitz's horrified face. His hand slowly released the shaft and backed away, staring at his hands. Clare felt nothing but the fire spreading through her. She placed a weak hand to where the shaft still protruded, just to the left of her sternum. Her hand came away warm, wet, and red. She had a horrible leaking sensation, and she slowly slid down the wall to the floor. Eli ran to Clare's side, collapsing to the ground beside her. Clare heard Eli's voice and strained to hear the words.

"I'll kill you," Eli's voice shook with rage and despair, "If I see you again, if you ever come near her again, I'll kill you. I swear it." Clare heard the pounding of Fitz's feet on the floor as he fled.

"Oh my God," Eli breathed, his voice cracked. His hands fluttered over her unsure of what to do but wishing to do something, _anything._ Tears rushed down his face in torrents. _Please don't, please not her! _his mind repeated over and over. There was blood everywhere; it began pooling on the floor and soaked the fibers of Clare's once beautiful dress. Clare was struggling to breathe, her blue eyes attempting to find Eli in the darkness.

"Help! Anyone, please! Help!" Eli screamed. "Clare, Clare, please no! Don't do this. Come on!" His hands desperately brushed Clare's fiery hair out of her eyes, caressing her face with trembling hands. Terrible choking sounds occasionally escaped from Clare, Eli's heart wrenched from his chest each time. "Oh, God, Clare. Talk to me, please. Say something." More tears soaked his face and pattered on the ground.

Clare finally found Eli through the shadows. He was like a shining light in the night that was now collapsing around her, she was drowning in the dark. Clare focused on the image of Eli and made a weak attempt at a smile before wincing in pain. "Take it out," She whimpered, "Please, take the knife out."

Eli's hands hovered over the protruding blade. Eli swallowed salt water. "I can't Clare, I'm sorry. It'll make it worse. I could do more damage…I'm so sorry." He grasped her hand in one hand. She was dying, right in front of him. The thought made Eli numb. His tears stopped falling but they still shone wet on his face. The only thing he could feel was the increasing coolness of Clare's hand within his own. Eli jumped at the sound of footsteps as Adam came around the corner with Fiona.

"There you guys are! I've been looking ev-" Adam stopped short, eyes widening in fear and disbelief. Fiona gasped. "What happened?" Adam asked, his voice was strangled.

"I'll call 9-1-1," Fiona said before rushing down the hallway.

Eli's eyes didn't leave Clare. "Adam," He said with absolutely no emotion, "Go get Mr. Simpson." Without a word, Adam ran to get the principal.

"You hear that Clare?" Eli asked softly, "They're getting help." Eli's voice sounded distant, even to him. Clare coughed harshly, and ruby blood leaked a bit from the corner of her mouth. _Oh God, it pierced her lungs, _Eli thought. _Not again. I can't lose someone again. Just like Julia. Why her? It was supposed to be me! She didn't deserve this. It was supposed to be me. Why do I lose everyone that's close to me? I never deserved her. Am I not supposed to fall in love? This is my fault. _Eli knew deep down, if Clare was gone, he would have nothing left. Nothing.

Clare watched as Eli's face twisted in pain, his eyes seemed far away, she had to say something. She had to make him stay with her. She swallowed, "Eli, I'm going to be alright, okay?" He didn't look at her. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Eli!" She said more forcefully. This time he looked at her with tortured eyes. "I'm going to get through this. I promise." She lifted a weak hand to Eli's face. "It's not- it's not your fault."

"Of course it's my fault! I provoked Fitz, that knife was meant for me!" Eli raged, "You weren't supposed to get in the way, you stupid, stupid girl!"

Wow, Clare had never been called stupid before. _That's new, _she thought. Clare laughed softly, and then winced in pain.

"How could you laugh at a time like this?" Eli glared at her.

"You called me stupid," Clare grinned.

Eli chuckled through fresh tears. Clare felt like she had accomplished something in making him smile. She took another agonizing breath. Clare felt the cloudiness impress more forcefully on her mind and she felt her eyes grow heavy. She didn't know how much longer she could stay conscious... "Could you promise me something?"

Eli gave her the look, _her _look. The one that made her feel like the only person in the world- at least to him. "Anything," He said simply.

"Stay with me?" She breathed. She heard the footsteps of racing people approaching.

Eli kissed her cheek softly and whispered in her ear, "Always."

She held his eyes though she felt herself slipping away, "You won't leave me?"

He pressed his lips to her cooling hand without taking his eyes off hers, "Never."

Shouts echoed in the distance and flashing lights shone through the windows. Clare closed her eyes, her body embracing unconsciousness; an escape from the pain. She only wished she could take Eli with her, and then the darkness would be perfect…

Voices and bodies clamored around the two. A pair of strong hands tugged at Eli's shoulders. They were going to take her away from him. He wasn't going to let them. _Nothing's going to take her away from me._ _Ever._ The Paramedics managed to get him to stand back, but he wasn't going anywhere. His eyes never left her. Adam placed a hand on Eli's shoulder. Tears streaked down Adam's face.

"What's going to happen?" Adam asked quietly.

"She's going to be okay. She has to be okay. She promised." Eli rambled, shaking his head through the tears.

The paramedics loaded Clare onto a stretcher and carried her outside. Eli followed close behind. They lifted her into the ambulance. Eli climbed in. When the paramedics told him to leave, he said one thing:

"I promised not to leave her."

As the doors slammed shut, Eli clutched her limp hand.

"I love you," He whispered into the cold skin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Hey guys. After this there's one chapter left. I'm sorry if there are some errors but I was in a rush to write this before I went back to school tomorrow. I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to get the next chapter up, but your reviews always help with inspiration so keep them coming. I'll post the next chapter ASAP, but I hope this'll tide you over. Bye! Review please!**

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Chapter 4  
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Red, blue, red, blue; the lights flashed in Eli's head. All the noise- the sirens, the talking, the clanking- just make it stop. _Make it stop!_ He stared at a spot on the side wall of the ambulance as the paramedic's conversation cycled through his head.

"_It's too close, we can't take it out. Not here…" One would say._

"_What can we do?"_

"_Stabilize her as best we can. We have to get her to the hospital. ETA, Jeff?"_

"_Too long. She's not going to make it…"_

"_Keep her breathing! She's lost too much blood. Hook up some A positive …"_

"_It's not going to be enough…"_

"_What else can we do?"_

"_We have to do something! She's dying…"_

Eli felt hollow. The words _she's dying_ echoed inside his mind in a relentless succession. His hands felt cold and clammy. _What if…_he thought, _no, she's going to make it. She promised. _

Finally, Eli could see the lights of the hospital. The paramedics lifted her out and rolled her through the doors of the emergency room. Eli was left abandoned and lonely, standing in the waiting room. He found it funny how the ride to the hospital spanned a millennia, and now that they were here, everything was too fast. People were running, figures blurred by, and within seconds Clare had been wrenched from Eli's grasp.

Clare.

Eli cringed at the thought of her name. The too bright lights shined down on him and the horrid stench of antiseptic and blood filled the air. Clare didn't belong here. She was too alive for a place that saw so much death. Then again, the way things were going, Eli was beginning to see as much death as this hospital. Eli somehow found a seat and retreated into his own head. Somewhere in the blur, a nice nurse came and asked if Eli wanted anything to drink. He could do nothing but shake his head.

His eyes were wide open, but he didn't see anything out of them. What he saw was Clare's face earlier today- _had it really been only today? -_ when she had looked at him with her face so full of hope. She was glowing. Eli heard her words as clearly as if she were saying them into his ear right now.

"_After tonight, I'm all yours. We can go on dates; we can go to dinner, or we can stay in, snuggle up on the couch with popcorn and a movie. Fitz won't bother us again, ever. Will you do that with me, Eli?"_

"_Will you do that with me, Eli?"_

Why couldn't he have just given up? Would it have been so awful to do what Clare asked of him? To be a normal couple? All Clare had asked of him was to be with her, hadn't that been the point the whole time? When she had said it to him, his heart had pounded disjointedly in his chest and his soul flew. Those words had been a future- a future Eli had now robbed from Clare with his own pride, selfishness, and pigheadedness.

People began to arrive in the waiting room; some stayed and waited anxiously, some left, but all were open books. Eli read each of them easily. Clare's best friend, Alli, came in first with her boyfriend, Drew.

The first thing Alli did was yell at Eli. He didn't hear a word of it, so he didn't react. He didn't even look her in the eye. He understood why Alli would blow up on him. She didn't understand what was going on. All she knew was that her best friend was hurt, she didn't know how badly or what happened. All she knew was that Eli was somehow involved. Eli knew that once Alli found out it was his entire fault, she would hate him. He didn't expect any less. In fact, he deserved it.

Alli collapsed on the ground in tears. Eli was startled by the alarming sincerity of those tears. Why should they surprise him? Alli loved Clare, it's not like Eli was the only one. Drew attempted to console Alli with soothing words. In that moment Eli felt irrational hatred. Drew didn't care about Clare. The only feeling he felt towards the situation was that he was sad and confused that someone got hurt, but Clare could be anyone to him. He and Alli soon left, a demanding phone call from her parents dragged her away from where she would rather be. Her tears hadn't dried as she and Drew left the building.

Adam was there. Like Eli, he was silent. He cared about Clare. Adam attempted to catch Eli's eye with a weak version of a reassuring smile. Eli appreciated the attempt, but he didn't have the energy to return the gesture.

The worst was when Clare's mother and father arrived. Clare's mom came sprinting through the door and made a teary dash for the ER gate. Three nurses restrained her. She screamed, over and over, "Clare! I have to see her! I need to see my baby!"

The nurses gave her to Clare's dad who held her tight. He was soundless; his face emotionless, his eyes tortured. Clare's mom clutched at her husband's shirt with both hands as she sank to the ground. Tears flooded down her cheeks, gut wrenching sobs and cries ripped her throat. After about an hour, both of Clare's parents were sitting much like Eli was: Eyes straight ahead, faces horribly unmoving. Clare's mom gripped the hand of her husband tightly. His fingers were turning purple, but he didn't complain.

Hours ticked by, each second was an eternity. Countless people came to tell Eli that he should go. His parents would be worried, there was nothing more he could do, they would call the moment there was any news. Eli simply shook his head to each of them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Edwards?" A tall man in scrubs asked from the ER gate.

All three of them, Clare's parents and Eli, jumped to their feet.

"You can come see her now but I think we should have a word first." The doctor said before leading Clare's parent's past the gate. Eli tried to follow but another nurse stopped him.

"Family only right now, son. You should go home; you must be dead on your feet."

Eli simply stared at him, horrified at the nurse's poor word choice. The nurse smiled sheepishly before returning to what he was doing.

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"Eli. Wake up."

Eli was shaken awake. He must have fallen asleep in his chair. The ordeals of the past night rushed back to Eli. _Oh, God. What happened? _He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before seeing Clare's father kneeling in front of him.

"What happened?" Eli asked in a panic. His voice was sore from the hours of non-use. "Is she okay. What's going on?"

"Eli, calm down. Everything's going to be alright," Clare's dad reassured him softly. "I woke you up to thank you."

Eli was confused, "Thank me?"

"Yes. The doctors told us that- that the knife missed her heart by millimeters. They told us that if you had panicked and removed the blade it would have sliced her heart, and Clare would be dead right now. They also told us that you wouldn't leave her side until they forced you away. It at least makes me feel better to know she wasn't alone. You saved her Eli."

Eli felt sick to his stomach, "No," he said, "I didn't save her. It's my fault she's here in the first place."

The man looked sympathetic, "No, it wasn't your fault." Eli tried to interrupt but couldn't. "I talked to the police, the principal, your friends; I know what happened and it most definitely wasn't your fault. She saved you, then you saved her, I guess that means you two are even."

"Why did she do it?"

Mr. Edwards looked at him carefully, "I think you know why she did it."

Eli took a breath. For the first time since the moment Clare knocked him out of the way, Eli could breathe. "How is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's going to be alright. She lost a lot of blood and her lung was punctured but she's going to make it. She didn't give up fighting."

"Can I see her?"

Mr. Edwards nodded, "but she's pretty sedated so she'll be out for some time. My wife and I are heading home so we can rest and have some time to think. You should to. You can always come back tomorrow."

Eli considered it. "If it's okay, I need to see her. Then I'll go."

He nodded then started towards the door, supporting Mrs. Edwards on his arm.

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Eli walked in a daze down the hall until he found Clare's room. He hesitated before opening the door. Taking a deep breath he walked into the room.

Clare looked so fragile and pale on the hospital bed. Eli could see the bandages wrapped around her chest from under the paper gown. Each breath that crossed Clare's lips seemed strained, but each breath was truly precious to Eli.

Eli sat in a small chair beside the bed and took Clare's hand carefully.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down Clare." Eli sighed, "I'm going home now. But I'll be back, I swear. I love you."

Each time Eli said the words, he felt it. He felt it with a confidence he hadn't known before. Those words belonged on his lips.

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Three days later, Eli sat in his chair at Clare's bedside. The nurses kept Clare carefully sedated so she hadn't spent very much time conscious in the past few days, yet still Eli stayed as he promised he would.

"You must be Eli." A voice said suddenly from the doorway.

Eli jumped. Standing just inside the room was a tall girl, she looked to be in her early twenties, and her skin held a dark brown tan. But the most striking feature of the girl was her bright red hair that flowed in easy waves past her shoulders. For some reason the guy from The Dot, Peter, stood behind her.

"How do you know?" Eli asked cautiously.

The girl smiled, "Clare writes very detailed e-mails."

Peter grinned and told the girl he was going to get her something to drink before leaving the room with an impish smile.

"You love her?" The girl asked seriously.

Eli was taken aback, "Who wants to know?"

She laughed, "I'm Darcy. Clare's my baby sister."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: Sorry it took so long guys. School Sucks. This is the End. I really hope you like it. I know it's short and I know it's boring but I thought it was sweet. Please, Please, Please review! If you review i MIGHT write another story. I get so many hits and so few reviews it drives me crazy! Anyways, thank you all for reading my story. love you all. **

**Chapter 5**

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Eli looked at her carefully, "Sister? Aren't you supposed to be in Kenya?"

Darcy grinned sheepishly, "So she _has _told you about me. Yeah, I was in Kenya. I was going to come home next week and surprise everyone…and then my mom phoned and told me about Clare. So, I came home early. Surprise," she spoke with fake enthusiasm. Eli silently pulled up a second chair and gestured for Darcy to sit. She stared at Eli for some time, her gaze steady and reflective. Eli had often seen the same look on Clare's face, most of the time when she was trying to understand a difficult poem in class. Sometimes, though, Clare had looked at _him _that way as if she was trying to figure out the mystery that was _Eli._ But the look coming from Darcy was different. Eli felt uncomfortable, as if he was being judged.

"I was so happy when Clare had first told me about you," She started quietly. The past-tense in her speech made Eli uneasy. "Clare was moving on. She was coming out of her shell, finally getting over the jerk, KC. KC almost destroyed her- and Clare already had such a low self-image. She always referred to herself as the smart one, and me, the pretty one. She never believed-"

She broke off and looked at Clare. Eli looked at her too. Her sweet round face, her cheeks slightly flushed. Soft auburn hair splayed like a halo on the pillow. Her lips blissfully pink against the cream of her skin. And how could he not mention her eyes. Even though they were closed, Eli could still picture them easily. So blue, they had been his sky. _Had she really thought that? _Eli wondered._ That's insane she's- _"She's beautiful." He said softly.

Darcy's eyes flickered back to Eli, "When I first heard about you, I thought you were just a fling. But you really care about her, don't you?"

Eli felt his cheeks warm, "Yeah, I do."

A small smile crept to Darcy's face, "She thinks you're amazing, you know? She sent me this with her last e-mail. She couldn't stop talking about you…" She held up her IPhone, and on it was a picture of Eli and Clare. Their faces had been smooshed together in order to fit into the frame. Eli's face had a streak of grease on his cheek; he had a silly smile plastered on his face. And Clare was laughing. Eli remembered the day clearly. He had been working on Morty when Clare had come. They had talked all day; about anything, silly things really. Like, they're favourite colours or comparing music on their IPods. Eli had completely forgotten Clare had taken the picture. He smiled to himself thinking about it. He looked up to see Darcy looking away, a lone tear streaking down her face.

"Darcy?" He asked cautiously.

"I never wanted to see her here. I never wanted to have to visit her, like she visited me. It's so wrong!" She cried.

Eli covered her hand consolingly with his own, "I know," He said simply.

"I'm glad she had you. She needed you."

Eli smirked and shook his head, "See? That's where you're wrong. I needed her. I needed her all along."

"Darce?" Peter's head poked through the door, "you're parents wanna see you for a minute."

Darcy gave Eli a tiny smile before leaving the room.

Eli turned and gazed in wonder as he witnessed Clare's blue eyes fluttering open. She looked at him and gave him a sleepy grin. "Hey," she spoke softly.

Eli couldn't say anything. He just stared.

Clare gave a soft giggle. "What's this? Eli Goldsworthy speechless? No snarky comments, no witty one-liners, no-" He crushed his lips to hers. The heart monitor that had been hooked up to Clare went crazy. Eli felt her cheeks go warm with embarrassment and she smiled against his lips. She knew he was experiencing the exact same thing because he knew she could feel his heart attempting to beat right out of his chest. When he pulled away they were both breathing way harder than usual. Clare raised one eyebrow and smirked. _Hey, that's supposed to be MY thing, _Eli thought.

"Could you be more smug?" Eli chuckled, mirroring Clare's smirk.

"Absolutely!" Clare replied, remembering every word from that fateful day outside her house. She giggled as Eli once again closed his lips over hers.

When they pulled away again, Clare's eyes were serious. "You stayed," She whispered, awed.

Eli's eyes softened, "I promised, didn't I?"

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Clare had got to go home at the end of the week, since then she and Eli had barely spent any time apart. He was there during the emotional Darcy reunion, as well as the equally emotional Darcy good-bye as she left for Kenya again. When Clare walked, she had Eli to lean on if she stumbled. Eli spent every night in Clare's room, though her parents didn't know it. It's not like they did anything (unless one considered some seriously heated make-out sessions completely scandalous), they simply enjoyed the simple comfort of having each other's bodies so very close as they slept. Clare often screamed in her sleep as she relived her pain over and over in her nightmares. She'd see it; the flash of the blade, the red blood as it pooled around her. Eli always woke her. He always held her, sometimes for hours, until she fell asleep again. But, sometimes, it was Eli who was the one screaming in his sleep. Clare didn't understand. She thought he dreamt of Fitz coming after him with the knife, but no. Eli had nightmares of losing Clare; of not being able to reach her in time, of watching as her life slipped away, of her being taken from him forever.

On this night, however, it was once again Clare who was waking from a particularly horrifying night terror. Eli held her to himself, drawing soothing circles on her back with his hands as she cried into his shirt. Her tears eventually stopped coming and she looked up at him with those blue, blue eyes.

"Eli, I love you."

Right then, Eli knew that no matter what happened; no matter what they were going to face in the future, they were going to be okay. Because Clare loved him. That's all that mattered.

He smiled softly, "I love you, too, Clare. Always and Forever."


	6. Authors note

I just thought I would say an ENORMOUS thank you to everyone who has read this story around the world. I love every single review (unless you decided to call me on bad spelling. For the record; It's FINALE not FINALY. Look it up before you decide I can't spell.) ANYWAYS, I adore the fact that I have had readers from around the world (Mexico, France, Barbados, and it seems my biggest fans are from the US of A!) I'm thinking of writing another story about Clare and Eli's adventures on break, Clare recovering from being stabbed, as well as the events upon returning back to Degrassi. I am now pleases to admit I'm a FanFic addict, thanks to you all.

I'll definitely be back before Degrassi starts again in October.

Bye

Love:

CarnivalClare 3


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